Chapter 486 - CH 486 — The Emergency Decree

"Are you taking my territory?" Alessandro asked, his voice remaining remarkably calm despite the sealed decree lying open upon the Council table, and the restraint in his manner only made the surrounding elders more uncomfortable because everyone knew how much discipline it required for an Alpha to hear his authority questioned before the very people who had once sworn to uphold it. Elder Matteo Ricci stood opposite him with both hands resting upon the carved wood, his traditional robes falling neatly around him while Elder Lorenzo Bellini watched from the side with a carefully neutral expression that concealed how deeply divided the Council had become. "Temporarily," Matteo replied, refusing to lower his gaze, "until the Council determines that your recent decisions have created unacceptable vulnerabilities across the northern territories."